New staff members of Encompass World Partners (formerly Grace Brethren International Missions) are at the International Missions Center in Winona Lake, Ind., this week for training. They’ll learn about the vision and values of Encompass World Partners, the history of the Grace Brethren movement, and network with each other.
“The goal is to deepen their understanding of Encompass so they can move forward with confidence based on our principles,” says Blaine Horst, personnel officer.
Among those participating are Jarod and Jennifer Ebenhack, bi-vocational Floridians who are ministering among the Haitians as part of a network of Haitian Grace Brethren congregations; Armando Lucio and his fiance, Chasity Meuse, from McAllen, Tex., Grace Brethren Church (Robert Soto, pastor), and currently living in Nova Scotia, Canada, seeking opportunities to minister among First Nations people in the area; and Skip and Kerry Jeffries, from the Grace Brethren Church, Martinsburg, Pa. (Kurt Miller, pastor), who will be serving Encompass in a special assignment role in mobilization. Several others involved this week anticipate serving in countries that are closed to the gospel. Their names are not revealed for their personal protection once they are on the field.